Head to head
Orinoco Crocodile vs American Crocodile
Orinoco Crocodile
VS American Crocodile
The Orinoco crocodile and American crocodile are two large Crocodylus crocodiles of tropical America whose ranges meet in Venezuela and Colombia.
| Orinoco Crocodile | American Crocodile | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Crocodylus intermedius | Crocodylus acutus |
| Size | Big males reach around 5 metres, and historically more | Males commonly 3.5 to 4 metres, and up to 5 or 6 metres, with smaller females |
| Snout | A relatively long, narrow snout, with a pale tan to olive body and dark bands | Narrower than an alligator's, with a bulge in front of the eyes, and the fourth lower tooth shows when the mouth is shut |
| Habitat | Rivers and flooded grassland | Mangrove estuaries, lagoons, and the open sea between islands, helped by salt glands on the tongue |
| Diet | Fish, turtles, birds, and mammals that come to the water to drink | Fish, crabs, turtles, birds, and mammals, with large individuals taking dogs and livestock |
| Nesting | Lays eggs in holes dug into sandbanks in the dry season, and guards them until they hatch | Builds a mound or digs a hole nest, and the female guards the eggs and carries hatchlings to water |
| Range | Only the Orinoco river basin of Venezuela and Colombia | Coastal areas of the Americas from southern Florida and Mexico through Central America and the Caribbean to Peru and Venezuela |
| Conservation status | Critically Endangered, after being hunted heavily for its skin | Vulnerable |
Orinoco Crocodile vs American Crocodile: common questions
Which crocodile is Critically Endangered?
The Orinoco crocodile, which was hunted almost to extinction for its skin during the twentieth century.
Which one can live in saltwater?
The American crocodile, whose salt glands let it live in mangrove estuaries, lagoons, and the open sea between islands.
Where do their ranges meet?
Both occur in Venezuela and Colombia, where the Orinoco crocodile lives inland and the American crocodile lives along the coast.